There are just ten games left of the Championship campaign and Cardiff City are still in the play-off hunt.

It’s a situation few believed might be possible after a season of inconsistency but, despite defeat to Leeds that ended a six-month unbeaten home run on Tuesday, the Bluebirds remain just one point off the top six with two months to go.

With fans slowly starting to believe Russell Slade may be able to give the side a shot at promotion, it piles the significance onto Saturday’s Cardiff City Stadium clash with fellow play-off chasers Ipswich who make up a five-team pack aiming for two top-six spots.

Slade applauds players and fans after Leeds defeat

With Burnley, Hull, Middlesbrough and Brighton seemingly set for the first four places in the division, it looks all set for a scrap between Derby, Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich, Birmingham and Cardiff for the remaining two.

Here, we cast our eye over the ten-game run-in for each of those rivals to see whether the Bluebirds really can start dreaming of a Premier League push.

Watch David Marshall make an excellent double save against Leeds United

Cardiff City left Derby County extremely disappointed earlier in the season

VERDICT : Second at the turn of the year, Derby haven’t been able to stop a slide with Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat their seventh loss in 15 games since Christmas. There had been suggestions of an uplift in form under new man Darren Wassall before the trip to Loftus Road but will have to make the most of their talented squad with a difficult-looking run, starting against Neil Warnock’s resurgent Rotherham and a derby with Forest before they head to South Wales.

Every game is against either a promotion candidate or a side looking to avoid the drop, including trips to Charlton and Bristol City, so the Rams could well fall short once more.

Craig Noone of Cardiff City and Barry Bannan of Sheffield Wednesday compete to win the ball in December

VERDICT : Wednesday’s move into contention has been based largely on their Hillsborough form, a 14-game unbeaten stretch only ended by Rotherham last weekend.

Their matches with top-six rivals are all in front of their own fans and the away trips – Derby aside – look winnable. If they emerge from a mini-slump – they are five without a win at present – they have the attacking players that could see them seal a play-off place.

CARDIFF CITY

Pilkington's 'Believe' celebration

Pos: 7

P 36 Pts 55

Mar 12 - Ipswich (h)

Mar 19 - Reading (a)

Apr 2 - Derby (h)

Apr 5 - Burnley (a)

Apr 9 - Fulham (a)

Apr 16 - QPR (h)

Apr 19 - Brentford (a)

Apr 23 - Bolton (h)

Apr 30 - Sheff Wed (a)

May 7 - Birmingham (h)

VERDICT : It’s in Cardiff’s hands. The Bluebirds are the only side in this pack of five to play all their rivals – three of which are at home – starting with Ipswich on Saturday and then Derby after the Easter international break and ending the season with back-to-back games with Wednesday and Birmingham.

Anthony Pilkington of Cardiff City celebrates after he scores his second penalty of the match against Preston (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

The trip to automatic-hopefuls Burnley looks daunting but the other games are in the main against midtable sides. Cardiff have had a habit of dropping points to such teams this term and their difficulty lies in keeping themselves in with a shout before those final two fixtures. Still, if they can match the pace of those around them they can shape their own destiny by beating their direct rivals.

VERDICT : The Mick McCarthy factor should never be ruled out, perhaps hence why the Tractor Boys are still in with a shout while never really pulling up trees this season. The former Ireland manager has two Championship promotions to his name and four separate play-off finishes and could use his experience to overcome the current bout of average form, drawing with struggling Bolton on Tuesday.

They currently have a game in hand over Cardiff meaning Bluebirds should pay attention to next Tuesday’s Portman Road clash with Blackburn, but it is what they do on the road that could matter most with away days at Cardiff, Wednesday, Boro and Derby to come.

VERDICT : Gary Rowett has earned deserving praise for the job done with Blues who have maintained their position just short of the play-offs for some time now.

They face a mixed set of challenges but their game-in-hand giving them a run of three straight home fixtures in the middle of April could give them a chance of staying in the hunt before the trip to Boro on the penultimate weekend ahead of a potential final-day decider at Cardiff City Stadium.